What are the Most Comfortable PC Gaming Chairs in 2017?

Back when I was gaming in the Warcraft 1 & 2 days, we just sat in fabric swivel chairs without a care in the world. Now, gaming has grown up and since Online is taking over, people are starting to realize that if you want to prevent back injuries, it might be better to spend a little bit more money on a chair if you’re going to spend all day in it.

I’ve tested a ton of chairs from cheap swivel chairs, to DXRacers, and to the highest end ergonomic chairs. In this complete guide, we’ll help you find the most comfortable PC gaming chair experience.

What Makes a “PC Gaming Chair” Comfortable?

If you want the “too lazy didn’t read”, price makes a chair comfortable.

The reason is that when a chair cost more money, chances are that the company behind the chair spent more money building the chair. This means they need to raise the price to get a good margin. If you make a chair for $300, you have to sell it for $600+ or more. However, cheap chairs that only cost $10-20 to make, you can still make a killing profit selling the chair for $100.

So what makes a PC Gaming Chair worthy of the title besides price? Well, in my eyes, a PC gaming chair that deserves accolades or credit for being comfortable is one that can sustain you throughout your work day, gaming day, or just chill and Netflix day. This means that the chair has to be versatile in features, recline ability, and comfort even throughout long days. Right away, this means that some sub $100 chairs can’t make the list since they lack in comfort and features.

Material

Material is very important when considering a comfortable PC gaming chair. The reason is that certain materials can be more comfortable than others. I prefer the more luxurious feel which usually means leather or fabric. However, some mesh gaming chairs can be very comfortable as well due to breathability and the way mesh feels. Leather, unfortunately, while it looks cool, has a tendency to heat up which can be annoying if it’s hot or you run hot.

Back Support

If you don’t want lower back pain, or neck pain through out the day, you’ll need some good back support. Most comfortable PC gaming chairs have an ergonomic design that supports your back through a combination of pillows, or through good ergonomic placements. I prefer back support without pillows since they can be finicky to adjust, but a large majority out there seem content with pillows.

Adjustability

To attain true comfort, you must be able to adjust your chair. The reason is that chairs–like Humans, come in various sizes and shapes. Some brands like DXRacer just have a million different models to balance this out, but even with these chairs it can be hard to find the perfect fit.

The most comfortable PC gaming chairs can be adjusted by changing the height of the lumbar support, adjusting the length of the seat panel, raising the arms in multiple directions, and even adjusting the headrest itself (in the case of the Ergohuman).

Durability/Warranty

If you want to be comfortable for a long period, you’ll need a chair that has good durability as well as a warranty. When you have premium parts, you have a premium experience which means your cushioning won’t get flat, and your arms will be adjustable throughout your chair’s lifespan.

Different Types of Gaming Chairs:

Racing styled chairs are the classic “DXRacer style” and these types of chairs look like they are pulled straight out of a race car. They usually have flat backs, cutouts in the headboard, and ridges and wings on the side to keep you “strapped in”.

While these chairs usually borrow most of their ergonomic factor from car seats which have limited lumbar support, they come with pillows to provide some more cushion.

Ergonomic

Ergnomic PC Gaming chairs come with special features like unique back recline and excel in adjustability.

Ergonomic styled chairs are types of chairs that you might see in expensive offices or Fortune 500 companies where workers put in an easy 8+ hours a day.

These chairs are perfect for a comfortable PC gaming experience, even if they might feel a little less “luxurious” and more functionally comfortable.

This is my preferred gaming type chair for PC gaming since they work for work as well as play, and their warranties usually hold up over 10 years. My Steelcase Leap Review proves that I had my Steelcase Leap for 16+ years!!

Console Speaker Chairs

The best for console gaming due to speakers, and lounging type experience.

Console gamings are usually within the “X Rocker” brand and they come with powerful speakers, pedestals, or sit on the ground as “rockers”.

These chairs are often foldable, have storage for controllers, and are great lounge chair experiences.

I wouldn’t recommend a console gaming chair for PC gaming however, since they are usually low to the ground and not comfortable as “desk chairs”.

Executive

Great for traditional office or budget consumer.

Executive chairs were once more popular, but now–less so. The reason is that the heavy padded cushioning can be super comfortable at first, but wear down over time.

However, they are still decent chairs in some ways for a comfortable PC gaming chair experience if you’re on a budget and want a cheap burner chair.

While I won’t recommend any executive style chairs in this list of the most comfortable PC gaming chairs, I can say that the B991 is a decent and popular option.

The Herman Miller Embody Chair is one of the most comfortable PC gaming chairs and it represents the epitome of design, premium build materials, and comfort.

The chair has a live lumbar back pixelated system that shows you the components while the chairs in use, giving it an ultra modern design that doesn’t hide how the chair’s comfort is built into the chair’s technology.

Tech experts and critics like MKBHD use the chair in their office, and you’ll find that people who love ergonomics flock to the Embody chair both because of how cool it looks, but also because how comfortable it is for gaming, playing, and working alike.

This is my personal favorite chair, and for many, the Steelcase Leap presents the best ergonomic comfortable solution for PC gaming. The reason is that the Steelcase Leap is packed full of innovative features, like a unique system that lets the back panel lean back in conjunction with the seat panel (named the gliding system).

Due to this unique ergonomic recline ability, and the super adjustable arms, as well as a flexible back, the Steelcase Leap V2 is one of the most comfortable and sleek looking ergonomic chairs on the market. It’s $300 less than the Herman Miller Embody, but the ergonomic value is still just as good.

Like the Steelcase Leap, the Aeron chair has dominated the workplace since around the 2000’s–and for good reason. However, many people who can afford the mesh ergonomic chair are finding that it is a wonderful and comfortable PC gaming experience due to the customization, high quality parts, and unique ergonomic design.

The chair’s mesh is very sturdy, and the chair’s steel parts are durable past the 10 year warranty. For anyone wanting a tried and true ergonomic PC gaming experience, you can’t go wrong with the Herman Miller Aeron chair!

While not as popular as the Steelcase Leap or Herman Miller Aeron, the Steelcase Amia is still a very good ergonomic office chair in its own right, perfect for any PC gamer looking to step up their comfort.

The chair has great armrest adjustability, an amazing back support, and the design is very easy on the eyes with bright vivid colors that look very modern. The chair is quite a bit cheaper than both the Aeron and the Leap, but it still maintains all of the most important ergonomic adjustments like an adjustable seat panel, armrest adjustments, recline, and lumbar support.

The Ergohuman Char is one of the most unique chairs on this list, but that’s a good thing since it makes it very customizable. The reason is that the backrest is made up of two parts that can be adjusted depending on your height and preferred back experience.

The mesh chair also comes with a headrest automatically, and the warranty as well as durability of the chair is very reputable. The Ergohuman chair is one of the best ergonomic chairs you can get for the price, and if you’re a sucker for mesh and a headrest for PC gaming, then pick out the Ergohuman!

If you want an ergonomic capable chair for PC gaming, but you don’t want the “ergonomic” look, or you just want some more style in your chair, then the Vertagear Triigger Chair is the perfect choice. Sure it has a weirdly spelled name, but the chair itself doesn’t mess around.

It has solid construction and the same ergonomic adjustments we’ve seen in legendary chairs like the Herman Miller Aeron. In fact, I would dub this the “gaming version of the Aeron” since it has comparable features and a similar mesh design.

DXRacers are famous because of streamers and their cool look. In some ways, they really revolutionized what a gaming chair is. The only bad thing is that a lot of their chairs aren’t super ergonomic and what might work in a car or a race car isn’t always suited to a gaming or office experience.

Sometimes the flat back and side ridges on the chair feel bothersome, but some of their more pricey designs–like the DXRacer Boss model, are actually quite good for gaming. If you’re not sure which DXRacer to get, check out our full guide on DXRacers here.

If you like the idea of a DXRacer, but can’t afford the more expensive models, I would recommend checking out Vertagear’s take on the classic racing styled chair.

I like this chair since it’s so sleeky and sexy with a black coloring and comfort to boot. The chair comes with two pillows, a steel frame, and high density foam to last years. It also has great casters, and the arms can adjust in all directions.

Moving on down the list we have a significantly cheaper ergonomic chair offering that still provides some good adjustments for long term comfort. HON is a well known company that provides chairs in retail offices and a lot of their chairs have great value. The Basyx has lumbar support, and adjustable seat panel, and it’s a lightweight chair that is easy on the eyes.

If you like the Herman Miller Aeron, but want something a bit cheaper but still super adjustable for PC gaming, this budget PC gaming ergonomic chair is a steal.

Since it has so many adjustments at a low price, the chair is a good fit for a wide range of individuals which has given it a good reception on Amazon. It has solid build quality, and a comfortable seat panel but still provides a breathable experience due to the mesh back.

The IntimaTe Chair is one sexy budget gaming chair. Sure it doesn’t have a ton of adjustments or sizes to offer users, but the chair is well made and designed to look very cool. It has a decent ergonomic design for solid gaming sessions the chair has a slight rocking function.

If you want a traditional swivel type office chair that will fit as a “normal” looking office chair for PC gaming, the OFM posture series is probably your best best around the $100 range. The reason is that the chair still has lumbar support, good upholstery, a decent weight capacity, and solid reception on Amazon.

The last, and the cheapest chair on the list is the Amazon Midback Chair. It’s only around $60 on Amazon, which means that the quality of the parts are definitely not up to long term comfortable use. However, if you’re only using the chair for a hour or two a day for PC gaming, it could be a decent burner option if you’re on a strict budget.

Tom Spark is a chair researcher, VPN expert, and a geek product extraordinaire. When he’s not spell checking his articles with Grammarly, he’s playing video games, watching too much Netflix, and deciding if he likes his current chair or not.